Talk about being tone deaf on OSU's part. This just goes with their thoughts that this is no big deal. I mean, why would lying to the NCAA and covering up years worth of violations be considered a problem? There's no point in punishing people who cheat, right?

The foxes are guarding the henhouse in Columbus. They are doubling down, but my guess is the NCAA calls their bluff.

I know. I once convinced half the city that my "talking dog" - a stuffed animal with a walkie talkie inside - would build them a personal Wal-Mart in their carports. Needless to say, I made millions, and now they try to fill their prescriptions by talking into the keyhole of their car trunks.

Not only that, but they are still paying his salary, atleast up to this month. I had a tremendous amout of respect for the OSU program, and even after all these violations that had been coming out I still held a little respect for them, but I am down to nearly no respect left for this program. They are just a disgusting cheating bunch of idiots that are working on these scandal issues.

This is off-topic, but was there a report that came out recently saying that Adolphus Washington was leaning towards MSU? I just went to the Michigan scout page and read a small portion of it. Couldn't read all of it because I am not a subscriber to scout. Can anyone shed a little bit of light on this?

Not that shocking. You want Tressel happily retired and spending his money on some South Pacific Island, far, far, away from NCAA investigators and publishing agents who are suggesting he write a "tell all" book.

This is after they just through him under the bus in their self imposed penalty response, saying it was all Tressel's fault, no one else knew anything. Seems like they are talking out of both sides of their mouth. It doesn't look like they are actually repentent.

I'm not trying to be a naysayer. I just genuinely don't know the answer to this:

Of the things that are alleged and the things we know (or seem to know), and of all the things that LOOK really shady, what is the NCAA allowed to/going to use to make their decision regarding sanctions?

It doesn't seem like they can use cars, golf or memorabilia dollars. It seems the only thing they're looking at is Tressel lying. To me, that means it's going to be hard to punish them too much.

2) apparently there is now a sixth person found to have been involved in the tat scheme, so your "thorough" investigation was a whitewas

3) coming up with a terrible excuse of confidentiality that was proved false since he blabbed to TP's handler

4) the punishment being meted out to Tressel was insignificant at first and then you first claim he resigned on his own, not having been forced out, even though Smith has now backtracked on that assertion saying he forced Tressel out

5) now rescinded the fine for Tressel and allowed him to retire (instead of being fired/resigning), which gives him payment for another month of work and allows him to receive state employee retirement benefits.

And their self-imposed sanctions are meaningless, even after admitting they are repeat offenders of major violations. wow, so they have to erase wins in a record book, big deal. Unless you are Bobby Bowden, does anyone really care? How is that punishment?

"Today's report also reveals that the university has identified one additional football player who received discounts on tattoos and has declared him ineligible. The university has requested that the NCAA reinstate the unnamed player."

Okay - so the lies, plus the sixth player. That's awesome, but it doesn't add up to the sanctions a lot of people seem to be hoping for. Is there anything provable and concrete that the NCAA is going to come at OSU with that is not listed in this post?

The second warning about Talbott to OSU came in the summer of 2009. Two employees of Scioto Reserve Golf Club contacted members of the athletic department after seeing Talbott and Pryor golfing together. One employee said he talked to an Ohio State assistant coach he knew socially, and was told the matter would be taken care of. Another employee, Regan Koivisto, the club's general manager, said he called the football office and detailed his concerns while talking to an administrative assistant.

Also: the NCAA was recently back in Columbus to investigate the golf issue. So this is something they may have tracked down.

And if the golf incidents amount to a violation, well then it would cover 2009-2010, which was not accounted for in OSU's self-punishment.

“No other offense has ever been visited with such severe penalties as seeking to help the oppressed.”

This is effing unbelievable. It's a friggin' payoff! Now he'll appear before the the infractions committee and fall on his effing sword! I just hope the Infractions Committee isn't so obtuse as to not see what's going on here.

"Nowhere is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours."

Apparently, if you cheat your way through a decade of coaching but can get an entire town to think you're a deity, you can still get your money. Of course, the standards are appallingly low in Ohio....

"Funny isn't it, how naughty dentists always make that one fatal mistake."

I have a hard time believing that anyone thinking about what is best for the program and the school would go along with this plan unless they had to. They must have had to pay him. He was either going to get paid or cooperate with the NCAA.

I don't much care for conspiracy theories, but this move just seems too idiotic.